Mark Dadian
New Member
Well... it finally happened. Just hooked up my trailer and drove to my house to get dressed b4 going to a job (I'd been out doing estimates earlier), and when I got out of my van to walk into the house, some people across the street started shouting that there was a fire in the back of the trailer. Doubting their assessment of the situation was accurate, I checked it anyway. What I first saw looked as though it could have been road dust just settling from having stopped so quickly. But upon further examination that was smoke :burn: coming out from under the canopy of my covered trailer (about a foot away from the gasoline fill neck). Next I did something very stupid.[drunk] Thinking I'd be thinning out any gas fumes present I opened the cap to the fill neck. Fortunately, I realized that this would only release fumes to where a spark could be and where the very obvious smoke plumes already were. I recapped the fill neck without incident. Next, I reached for the extinguisher at the back of my van and gingerly, so as not to suck oxygen into where a flame could really feed on it, I opened an access hatch above my water tank, which also gave me access to the rest ov the contents of the trailer and blasted away with my little FX. Certain the greatest danger was over, but still uncertain what had caused the smoke in the first place, I now opened the rear of my trailer.
This trailer was made back in the 80's by a now defunct company. The set-up has a switch panel right at the back for easy operation of both systems and the burner, but unfortunately, the wires and terminals on the back are all exposed. Once, I made the mistake of touching a lance to the back of the panel (accidentally) and watched a very brief, yet equally intense light show. Since then I've tried to be mindful of the potential hazard this could present.
Well, you can guess what happened. Between my picking up the trailer and driving it to my house (1.3 miles) my p/w hose q/c plug had landed on just the right terminals to make a connection and did not move until I opened the rear of the trailer and moved it myself. What had cooked was a 12" hose whip that was connected to 150' of p/w hose. The whip, the plug and the joint where it met the p/w hose were hotter than a $2 dollar pistol. The 150' of hose was cool as a cuke. I don't know if the hi-pressure swivel between the whip and the hose acted as an insulator, and so did not continue the current to the rest of the metal braided hose, but I thank GOD, and I mean I THANK GOD, that nothing else was severely damaged. Now to see if either of my two units would work (or did I cook the battery in the process?). One worked, but the other had its starter button fried (to a crackely crunch) and so it sits until I can find a replacement for it. Next came the blowing off of the powder from the F/xtngshr, three more "thank you Lord"s and then off to the next job.
P.S. Got to the job and I hear pssssssssssssssssss. Yup, picked up a cotter pin in my trailer tire. Finished up the job (4 hours later) and drove it to the tire shop (dual axel). 15 minutes later - "On the road again."
Well, I think I'll get up tomorrow to see what new and definitely exciting things will come my way then.[tie]
Matthew 6:34 Don't worry about what's going to happen tomorrow, today has enuf to keep you busy for now.[spaz]
The New Mark Dadian Translation.
This trailer was made back in the 80's by a now defunct company. The set-up has a switch panel right at the back for easy operation of both systems and the burner, but unfortunately, the wires and terminals on the back are all exposed. Once, I made the mistake of touching a lance to the back of the panel (accidentally) and watched a very brief, yet equally intense light show. Since then I've tried to be mindful of the potential hazard this could present.
Well, you can guess what happened. Between my picking up the trailer and driving it to my house (1.3 miles) my p/w hose q/c plug had landed on just the right terminals to make a connection and did not move until I opened the rear of the trailer and moved it myself. What had cooked was a 12" hose whip that was connected to 150' of p/w hose. The whip, the plug and the joint where it met the p/w hose were hotter than a $2 dollar pistol. The 150' of hose was cool as a cuke. I don't know if the hi-pressure swivel between the whip and the hose acted as an insulator, and so did not continue the current to the rest of the metal braided hose, but I thank GOD, and I mean I THANK GOD, that nothing else was severely damaged. Now to see if either of my two units would work (or did I cook the battery in the process?). One worked, but the other had its starter button fried (to a crackely crunch) and so it sits until I can find a replacement for it. Next came the blowing off of the powder from the F/xtngshr, three more "thank you Lord"s and then off to the next job.
P.S. Got to the job and I hear pssssssssssssssssss. Yup, picked up a cotter pin in my trailer tire. Finished up the job (4 hours later) and drove it to the tire shop (dual axel). 15 minutes later - "On the road again."
Well, I think I'll get up tomorrow to see what new and definitely exciting things will come my way then.[tie]
Matthew 6:34 Don't worry about what's going to happen tomorrow, today has enuf to keep you busy for now.[spaz]
The New Mark Dadian Translation.
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